10 Most Expensive Rock + Metal Albums Ever Made

Ridiculous piles of cash have been thrown into recording new albums, and sometimes they’re not even good! Regardless of the result, according to various sources, these are the most expensive rock and metal albums ever made.

The insane amount of money spent on Guns N’ Roses’ Chinese Democracy album has become stuff of legend. It took a freaking decade to finish GN’R’s sixth record, with the list of personnel longer than the credits of a Kanye West album. Reports indicate that $13 million was spent on the effort, making it the most expensive album in history, minus Michael Jackson’s Invincible.

One incredibly costly album that actually paid off was Def Leppard’s classic Hysteria. The band reportedly spent $4.5 million on the 1987 release, which inflates up to roughly $10.2 million in today’s market. Thankfully, the album sold over 25 million copies worldwide, easily making up for its humongous budget. Hell, the guys in Def Leppard may have even taken home some extra scratch.

During the height of their career, Korn had plenty of cash to burn, which they did ad nauseam for 2002’s Untouchables. Korn burned through $4 million to make the record, but funny enough, most of that money went toward living expenses to keep their 15-person crew on retainer for two full years.

Get ready for your jaw to drop with the 10 Most Expensive Rock + Metal Albums Ever Made.